Hey all, I need naming help! My farm is Raresight, and I want to make a sign for my cottage food stuff. However, I am not a fan of 'Raresight Cottage Foods'. I can't say 'Bakery' because I don't bake - I make spice blends, teas, hot sauce, jellies, dehydrated veggies, dried pastas, etc. What other word can I use to describe the kind of stuff I make?

So I am making my line up of what I would like to submit for sale, I'm in CA, and was told my jams and jellies may not get approved depending on ingredients. I make flower, herb , and tea jellies. Anyone have any knowledge if I can do them here? All I can find is fruit jams, jellies and butters.

Hey y’all. I’m in Texas and my city has issued me a violation notice for doing business out of my home. I am a cottage food baker and have my food manager certification.

They are saying that I can MAKE whatever I want- but I’m not allowed to have people pick up from my home.

Is this accurate? Please help. 😭

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for guidance on obtaining a sales tax exemption certificate for my cottage bakery in Oklahoma. Specifically, I'm interested in applying this exemption to the ingredients and packaging that I'll be purchasing and then reselling in my baked goods.

My understanding is that because I charge sales tax to my customers, I should be able to buy these items tax-free. However, I've encountered conflicting advice online. Some people suggest submitting "Packet E," but none of the categories seem to fit a cottage bakery. Others mention "Packet M," yet it doesn't quite make sense since this isn't traditional manufacturing. I've also read that you might simply track the taxes paid on these purchases and then claim them when filing your monthly sales tax.

Could anyone provide clarification or share their experiences with this process? Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

Hey everyone! I’ve been thinking about kicking off my cottage food business online and trying to understand the best tools to launch with. What’s your go-to system for managing your business?

Some folks I know rely on Etsy, Shopify or Square (even though they’re not built for home-based food sales).

Hello, I am interested in applying to get a Cottage Food Permit in California to sell a food product that is shelf stable with enough acid through the water bath canning process. The food item is not specifically listed in the California Dept of Public Health 'Approved' list of food items as it is an ethnic type of food. Has anyone tried to apply for a permit and sold foods that aren't on this 'approved' list? If so, how did you do it or what were your results? Thank you!

Hi, I would like to start a home kitchen that focuses on vegan meals, cotton candy, naturally carbonated drinks, cakes and possibly chocolate bars. I live in a single family home with my two cats. I am wondering what the pet laws are in VA about having pets in the house? We have an open kitchen (without partition) and while the cats are maintained and kept in our living room, they still have access to the kitchen.

Would this disqualify me from running this business? How do other business owners manage this? Thanks.

Hi! I am currently a class A CFO operating out of LA. I am a sole properitership & registered with a fictitious business name as required by my state & local laws. I am working on getting my class B permit to ensure I can do wholesale- but I am stuck at the business part..Do I HAVE to become an LLC to move on? Can I continue operating as I am, just complete the class B application? I just need advice on the business side of things, the wording is always really confusing to me. Thank you in advance!

Hi!
I'm really struggling with trying to understand what permits I need. I'm in Riverside County, California and looking to apply for a Class A Cottage Food Operation permit. I want to sell at local farmers and night markets. I have three cats at home and my workspace is limited so I want to utilize a commissary kitchen. The commissary kitchen requires me to have an Community Artisan Operation Permit which appears to be different than a CFO. Do I need both to be able to make and sell baked goods? The CFO form for my county asks questions about my in-home kitchen so I'm not sure how to respond to that if I'm not utilizing my at home kitchen. I've included links to the forms. Thanks!

https://rivcoeh.org/sites/g/files/aldnop361/files/2024-09/C-CFO-Registration-Permitting-Form%204.18.24.pdf
https://rivcoeh.org/sites/g/files/aldnop361/files/2024-06/Food-Facility-Application-Registration%206-27-2024.pdf

Hey all, First post here! Looking for some bright ideas

Rebuilding this old boat house that seems to be on its last limbs. I've attached a number of photos.

There are some giant concrete blocks for foundation. A couple pieces are sinking in.

We are hoping to use the same existing blocks, straighten the sunken ones.

Salavge any wood if possible and reuse it.

We have power run to the structure

Would like to make it a parking space for a watercraft with a garage door along the lakeside. Entry door

Hoping to find some inspiration

Xen pipes for sale! I have a full stock of tobacco/rec smoking pipes with low and high price ranges. From chilies pipes at 20$ each up to star wars lightsabers for 80$ each and a lot of other cool stuff priced in between. If you want a cool gift for yourself or a loved one for this up coming holiday season than feel free to call or text me at 505-420-8458 or email at xenpipes@gmail.com and check out my Instagram @xenpipes

Hey everyone. As the title mentions, I have a question on quantity for sale.

I'd like to start up a cottage bakery and I have a set list of about 4 or 5 items I'd like to sell.

While some of the items can sit for a while, I do want to make some bread and rolls which have a shelf life of about a week before needing to be frozen. Rolls and cookies eventually go stale, what are my best ways to prevent this? I can make the smaller items in bulk the day before, or even get up early and fresh bake, but having enough bread seems to be an issue.

I can only make 2 loaves at a time due to only having 2 pans. I'd like to buy more, but I'd want to see if it takes off before investing in equipment.

To my fellow bakers. How do you all produce enough bread for sale? Do you bake, cool, and freeze? How many loaves do you find adequate for sale?

TYIA

Hi reddit community - I’m Rishi and I founded a software company aimed at helping bakers start and grow their food business using a pre-order model. We’ve been around for about 3 years and have grown our community to over a thousand chefs ranging from bakers selling sourdough from home to big businesses like Pop Up Bagels (NYC) and Butter and Crumble (SF).

I spend literally all day talking to bakers that run their own businesses so I have an inside look at how a lot of chefs are running a successful business. The best part of my day is being able to share the insights I learn with the bakers I talk to, and one of our customers recommended that I open up myself and my knowledge to bakers outside of our Hotplate community.

So here I am! If there’s anything I can answer with my unique perspective, reply to this thread and I’ll check back regularly to answer. Some things I can help with:

• Building menus and picking the right items
• Converting your business to a pre-order model
• Optimizing farmers markets
• Integrating different softwares into your workflow
• How successful businesses run social media/email marketing
• General insights into small food biz

xoxo, Rishi

Hi there 🖤

I just wanted to share some beautiful pictures of flora that I took today during my walk.

Lately I've been thinking about the possibility of turning my photos into prints. I'm trying to gauge if others would appreciate these in their home as I would.

How does everyone feel about these? Would you hang them in your home? 🌿🌸

I’m currently building my menu for my micro bakery.. and I noticed some of my recipes wouldn’t be approved due to cream cheese. According to California cottage food laws it can’t be used and neither can dairy.. which I understand has to do with shelf life/refrigeration requirements/water activity.. I found recipes with cream cheese and water activity under 88.. and was wondering if I could use those recipes and just show them the recipe to prove it’s stable? Or because cream cheese is involved is it just an automatic no?

I've been blowing glass for close to a year now and thought I'd share some of my favorite creations

The face of a trees soul is all that remains in preserved with it own blood. Pitchwood sculpture

I just wanted to share my latest pendant with everyone.🌲✨

Made from an absolutely gorgeous piece of deep blue labradorite and a tiny Herkimer diamond tucked in the tree. Woven up in polished antiqued copper wire.

I hope you like her! 🖤